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| Field Museum gift shop cards--for this bunny collector at Easter :D |
EASTER 2013
Kev and I flew into Chicago Friday night and checked into the boutique hotel -- Hotel Monaco. What a find! Located on Wabash in the shadow of the Trump Tower, we dined at their charming restaurant and watched the busy street scene from our little table.
Mitch worked at Crumbs until 11:00 and we had a few craft beers waiting for him in the room. We ended up talking until 1:00 am (of course then he watched a movie in his room and we collapsed). Hotel Monaco has whimsical services like a goldfish in a bowl upon request and a fortune teller during daily happy hour. They are also pet friendly and Leo joined us the next day with Joe and Christin. We headed off to Shed Aquarium but ran smack into an hour and half wait-as the aquarium was "at capacity" and only going in as fast as they exited. Plan B was The Field Museum of Natural History across the street, Joe and Christin grabbed a Chicago Dog (just like Pudgy used to sell on the mall!) and we toured the museum for the next several hours. The special exhibit was Luminescence-Creatures of the Light--very fun!
We took a long walk to Millennium Park and Grant Park and enjoyed the weather and sweeping views of the city against beautiful Lake Michigan.
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| Mitch Christin Joe--on a blustery Saturday |
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| The view from the Museum-Chicago was hopping with Easter visitors -(no pun intended)-although the crowd was behind me |
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| Mitch working hard at Crumbs cupcakes and coffee shop-40 flavors, 40 frostings, 40 fillings and toppings. Located in Water Tower between Legoland and American Girl Doll stores, the action never stops :D |
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| Yes please! |
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| Easter morning--I had just taken a picture of the guys in their complimentary leopard bathrobes so we were still laughing-I didn't post that |
After Easter Mass at St. Peters in the Loop, we headed to a restaurant where two of Maddy and Julie's cousins work -they were both working and happy to see us walk in to Janes for brunch.
After brunch we took Leo on a long walk along Lake Michigan near Mitch's apartment. These benches are repainted as a fundraiser every spring and are yet to be painted this year. They are numbered and you bid for the opportunity. Really interesting, quirky, insightful and unique --
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| Mitch found 2 red balloons --that Leo wanted. |
That evening it was Mitch Kev and myself and we had reservations at a James Beard award winning place-- MK (click the link) Luckily they offered a tasting menu" which was perfect small portions of several top offerings. We all loved it so much. Kev also had wine pairings with each meal. Following dinner we took in a $5.00 comedy club show(gotta love that price) (at 10:00 pm) and then, to top it off, were picked up by the "Singing Cabbie" to take us to the hotel. It wasn't planned, its just random. It was........entertaining.....I'll leave it at that! You must click this link to hear him on Youtube! Singing Cab Driver -Ray St Ray
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| "More than a ride..its a trip!" |
Monday was spent at the Art Institute of Chicago ---- with the advent of iphones, photographing the work is no longer banned--so I snapped a couple--but others who would photograph every painting and their descriptions may have missed some of the pleasure (and reason?) of viewing art!
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| Monet's Haystacks--I had a framed print in my bedroom for 20 years-favorite paintings of all time........I could spend the day sitting here |
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Chagall's America windows
The rest of the story.............................
I have sent the kids cookies, candy, hams, clothes or different gifts lately, at Easter, but thought I could take baskets in my carry-on easily enough this year. I prepared cute colorful baskets (think breads and rolls) with biodegradable yellow Easter grass and Williams Sonoma adorable candies--each with one plastic egg "the famed $20.00 egg" of our Easter morning egg hunts for each. (I mailed Nick and Nicki's). I wrapped the sweet baskets in cellophane and tied with a yellow ribbon and left in a shopping bag at the door for Kevin to grab. When I met him at the airport he had one basket in the bag--we searched the car thinking it was thrown out of the bag...?
When we got home I followed a trail of truffle eggs to the living room and found most of Mitch's basket eaten by Heidi..........the wrapping slowed her down a bit but she enjoyed lots of jelly beans--and I was REALLY happy that I had the biodegradable grass :D She must have lifted it by its pretty bow and taken it for herself !
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| Mitch--I'll send the $20 and the chocolate peanut butter eggs someday :D |
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